Super Seven
Van Gogh Museum Even if you're not the biggest art fan, you can't help but appreciate the work of Vincent Van Gogh within this museum. Over 200 paintings, 400 drawings, and 700 letters are on display. A ticket will set you back 18 Euro, but it's definitely worth it. You can also tie in a pic with the iAmsterdam sign, which is located within 50 meters of the museum.
The Red Light District Is any trip to Amsterdam ever complete without checking out the world famous Red Light District. This area of the city has restaurants and bars within close proximity, but the area is exactly as you expect it to be... windows with red lighting advertising women and the services they offer. If that's of no interest, the Oude Kerk Church is located in the middle of the district.
Anne Frank House Anne Frank House is a museum dedicated to the jewish wartime diarist Anne Frank. The audio guide provided was very informative and the tour of the house was much more emotional than I was expecting. Many people have read the book, but being there in the actual house was a very moving experience. Tip - You can't book a ticket on arrival, it's online booking only.
Royal Palace of Amsterdam The palace is located in the heart of the Dutch capital, and is definitely worth checking out. There's three palaces in the Netherlands that are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament, and this is one of them. A very grand building from the outside, with extremely impressive architecture on the inside. The palace is so big that some of the rooms will start to look a bit repetitive, but it's well worth the 10 Euro entry.
Rotterdam Day Trip From one dam, you can reach another by train in under an hour. Depending on the amount of time you have in Amsterdam, a day trip to Rotterdam is definitely worth considering. Both cities offer a different experience with the attractions they offer. The Cube Houses, Great St Lawrence Church, Market Hall, and the Marine Museum are all notable mentions.
Moco Museum This is an art museum housed in an early 20th century townhouse featuring the work of Banksy. It's located right by the Van Gogh Museum. In fact, I stumbled across this place by accident and it turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip. The entrance fee was inexpensive and it wasn't swarming with tourists.
Cycle the City Even if you only cycle around for a few hours, riding a bike in Amsterdam is regarded as an essential experience. Cycling along the canals is a very pleasant ride and a great way to explore what the city has to offer. There's plenty of bike rental shops spread across the city.
Accommodation Advice
One thing that did surprise me in Amsterdam was the price of hotels, as they weren't cheap at all. The best I could find was Hotel The Exchange. The location is in the heart of the city and it offers one very unique feature, which is a selection of rooms ranging from 1-5 star, so there's an option for everyone.
Food Factor
The standard of food was decent in every restaurant I tried. The food highlight actually came from a small take away restaurant selling only chips (french fries for the Americans). This place was called Manneken Pis and I can honestly say they were the best chips I've ever had in my life. Literally life changing!
